Thursday, June 28, 2012

Cakes, Cookies and Chocolate are not my thing. I taste them if they are offered and sometimes indulge in full servings if I am in the mood, but I don't seek them out. I don't get sweet cravings. I don't have to keep pieces of chocolate around to satisfy frequent sugar fixes. Don't be too impressed, don't assume I have an iron will, and don't think for one second that I don't have "bad for you" cravings. I do! They are just of the saltier, crunchier variety. When I am eating healthy and want to divert from that course/cheat, I always want fried food. That is my ultimate weakness!

Because of this I am always excited when recipes like these appear in my favorite publication, Cooking Light. It gives me a way to indulge without complete guilt - and I love it! This recipe was very delicious. I wasn't as excited about the mayo based dipping sauce (another thing I am not a big fan of is mayo) as my husband, but it was very good and the perfect compliment to the crunchy shrimp.

Monday, June 25, 2012

When I was given the privilege to review Michelob Ultra's New Light Cider, I knew I wanted to do it justice. I am a huge fan of the original Michelob Ultra Beer and was excited to participate in a review of their latest product. The problem was that I have never been a fan of the more traditional ciders and I feared I couldn't give an honest non-biased review. So I put some thinking into how I could provide the best possible review and not end up chatting away about how I never loved ciders in the first place and yada, yada, yada. Well I quickly decided the best way to make this product review worth while was to turn it into a group affair. I put together a quick impromptu mommy/lady only happy hour on the Sunday before Memorial Day and invited my most trusted advisers. I sent out a group text inviting all the women over for 4pm to test out the new cider. Being the foodie that I am, I couldn't serve just the ciders alone so I made a quick grocery run and purchased a small variety of cheddar cheeses to accompany the chilled apple beverages. I put together a cheese board consisting of three different cheddar cheeses, some honey drizzled apples and some crisp wafers. I set the board out on the counter and waited for the clock to strike 4pm!

Once all of my guests arrived, I gave them a quick introduction to the cider explaining that Michelob ULTRA Light Cider has 120 calories per serving – that’s one-third fewer calories than an average of the leading regular hard ciders. I also mentioned that Cider is naturally gluten-free and that this is the first cider Anheuser-Busch has produced and distributed in the U.S. After I finished my short spiel, I served each lady a perfectly chilled cider and I started to "take notes". The women started talking before they even took their first sip. Some remarked at the strong apple scent prior to even tasting their first swallow. Once they started drinking, some of the comments were that it was "less sweet" than other ciders they have had, that it was "very refreshing" and it would be the perfect "pool-side beverage". Other women were surprised at how unlike beer it tasted and that it didn't really seem like a beer at all. I think the Michelob ULTRA name may have confused some of them as they expected to taste something more like a flavored beer. I then went on to explain to them that the brewing process for cider follows that of beer, with the main difference being the
ingredients used: cider uses apples, while barley and hops are generally the main ingredients for beer. Michelob ULTRA Light Cider is made with all-natural ingredients, including apples, and is naturally sweetened with stevia. And although the brewing process is somewhat similar, Michelob ULTRA Light Cider is an ideal alternative to white wine, champagne and traditional ciders. Some of my happy hour participants mentioned that they thought it was more like a "wine cooler" than like a beer and that it was very light.

The overall reception to the New Michelob ULTRA Light Cider was positive. The ladies at my last minute happy hour seemed delighted with the beverage and happy to try something new. They all believe it is the right drink for the upcoming hot summer months and several of them have purchased the product at a later date post my little happy hour!

Please visit the sponsor's site for more information on this fabulous product.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

It doesn't have to be Fall for me to crave comfort food. I am ready to eat rich heavy foods anytime of year. Light summer fare is nice and refreshing and great in the Southern heat, but I can always find a reason to indulge in comfort food no matter what the temperature outside may be. And my favorite comfort food by far is gooey cheesy baked pasta. This is a great recipe because it provides the satisfying intensity of the melted cheese and warm pasta, but it utilizes fresh summer veggies for the perfect marriage of seasonal stars. This is a regular in my household. It is easy to prepare, super satisfying and loved by all members of my crew - including my 20 month old!

Sunday, June 10, 2012

A co-worker of my brother's recently went on a deep sea fishing excursion and gifted my little brother with some of his catch from the trip. Since my brother doesn't cook, we ended up as the lucky recipients. I wanted to find a great recipe to use the fish in and I thought this one sounded very unique. The cumin and the chipotle were both very potent flavors, and although this preparation was tasty I think it would have benefited a less fresh fish. The red snapper we were given was so fresh that we should have done something more simple with the filets that would have highlighted the freshness. I would definitely make this recipe again using store bought fish though. It was very tasty and super easy!